Friction
by harvelles
Summary: It was never James' intention to knock the bludger at Albus' head and cause him to be admitted to St. Mungo's for excessive bleeding. The following five hours of waiting were the longest of his fifteen year old life, especially when he was filled to the brim with absolute guilt and a mind that wouldn't stop churning.


**A/N: **I'm a total sucker for FanFictions that deal with a lot of pain, call me a masochist if you will, but I got this idea from a snippet of Albus' and Scorpius' conversation at the beginning of _Fancy_. The conversation spoke little about the incident revolving around James Potter II accidentally hitting his younger brother with a bludger in the previous year. Although the two were mostly casually joking about it, I got to thinking about what if it had been a serious incident and it's partially the reason James is as overprotective as he is in Albus' Fifth Year. Then bam! I got this FanFic rolling in my brain. If you didn't know, this goes along in the same verse as _Fancy_, but it's only a year earlier.

**Note: **Please check my account page for a link to all of the character's statuses. (Including; House, Year, age, etc)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, all belong to J. K Rowling. I only own comfy socks and Quidditch OC's.

* * *

**March 5th, 2021 | 6:43 PM**

James Potter had no idea that when he woke up on that shining March morning, that he would be sitting in the cramped waiting room at St. Mungo's later that day. He had woken up, full of excitement over the Quidditch match scheduled that afternoon. It was a classic Gryffindor versus Slytherin match and James was sure he wasn't going to beat his baby brother _too _hard.

Little did James know just how much irony that one simple sentence held when he thought it over in the drab waiting room later that night. His chocolate brown eyes had been glued to his hands since he took his seat four hours ago. Throughout that night he had felt several soothing hands on his shoulders and back, mostly from his father or his mother. Nothing the parents did brought any comfort to the fifteen year old boy who felt as if he was a turtle retreating back inside its shell. He would give a limb to transform himself into one and actually hide in its hollow shell.

"It isn't your fault, 'ya know. Bad things happen, James." murmured a scratchy voice from James' right. The Gryffindor didn't bother responding to the statement just like he had ignored what everyone else had said as well. He wasn't in the right state of mind to speak. James was slowly moving his clean fingers, stretching them and bending them, but they still felt sticky.. still felt warm..

"James, give me a sign here you little git.. show me you are at least listening to what I'm saying." requested the voice once more. James knew he should give a nod or croak out a small yes, but he was afraid if he opened his mouth he'd start crying and that was something he didn't want to do in front of his family.

A deep sigh reverberated in the voice's chest as James felt the seat next to his shift and he didn't even feel the touch of the voice's hand as it had reached out to grasp one of James' extended palms in his own. The voice clamped his own hand over James' own numb one before slowly starting friction to warm his palm up. The small form of affection was enough to make James bite on the inside of his mouth to keep him from making noise. All of this alone was bringing back childhood memories James wanted to forget at the moment.

"_C'mon, James! It's snowing! Let's go outside and play, we can build an igloo or a snowman or.. or.. or.. we can make a snow angel!" _

Maybe if James just stopped thinking the memories would cease to pour into his skull.

"_I don't wanna, Al! It's too cold and my fingers are numb from the snowball fight with Rosie earlier. Let's just go inside and play instead." _

James couldn't help, but think of the irony of that moment and the current one. He couldn't feel his fingers then and he still couldn't feel them now.

"_You are such a baby, James! Here, I'll fix it. Give me your hands, I'll do what mummy was doing to Lily's hands earlier, I'll warm them up like this.." _

Just like they were being warmed up right about now. Too bad James couldn't feel the warmth from the voice's hands. Either he was in total complete body numbing shock or his own leap from his broomstick earlier had caused some damage, but it was nothing like hearing the loud thump of the body hitting the Quidditch field.

"_Cut it out, Albus! I don't need you to be my mummy, I already got one of those." _

It was nothing like feeling his own heart hammering in his chest at a faster beat.

"_Then you need me to be your baby brother and that's what I am, so let me just be that."_

It was nothing like seeing the blood pool from the back of his head, oozing onto the field.

"_Your hands are too small to even do this properly. Why are you even trying, Al?"_

It was nothing like finding the source of the bleeding and seeing the blood paint the skin.

"_Because I'm your brother and brothers who love each other do this kinda stuff, you prat." _

Suddenly, James leapt from his chair for the first time in four hours. He could feel every pair of eyes on him as his knees were beginning to buckle underneath him and he grasped for the voice that was sitting next to him for some support. James managed to grab onto a familiar leather fabric as he attempted to keep his balance.

"Shit, James. Are you okay, mate?" exclaimed the voice as their own hands were supporting the wavering Gryffindor's waist, his hands still in a tight grip on the leather jacket.

Quick footsteps soon approached the two in a matter of seconds and James felt another pair of warm, familiar hands around his shoulders. Hands that had guided him through childhood and into impending adulthood, were here guiding him now. "James? Son, can you hear me? Are you feeling well?"

James looked up to see his father examining him with careful and concerned almond green eyes. The same exact ones that his brother had. The same ones his own grandmother had. Were these eyes cursed? If you somehow inherited these eyes were you doomed to terrible happenings in your life? James was well aware of how his grandparents died to protect his father, of how his father practically saved the Wizarding World when he was seventeen and he was proud to be apart of such a lineage of bravery, but with the recent incident.. James wasn't so sure anymore.

"Are we cursed?" James croaked out, his voice feeling scratchy in his swollen throat. He didn't plan to speak, not until he knew everything would be alright, but with this new revelation in his mind, he had to know the truth.

"Cursed? James, we aren't cursed. What is going on?" James' father, Harry Potter was asking in a hushed tone. The rest of the family still had their eyes locked on James, as if they were waiting for his inevitable breakdown over the situation since he had barely shown any emotions since being flooed to the hospital from Hogwarts.

James had tried to say something, anything at this point, but his tongue had escaped him. He wanted to explain his theory to his father, but the feeling of everyones eyes on him and the tight grip the voice had on his waist was enough to make him feel smothered. James pulled the ring clad fingers that belonged to the voice off of his waist with shaky fingers and shrugged off his father's supportive arm before walking away from them. His eyes were on the doors that would lead him out of here, out of this suffocating room.

"Should I go follow him? He might get lost in here, it's a big hospital." asked the voice, his voice having grown softer and thicker since witnessing James' episode.

"No, just give him some time, Teddy. He needs time to be alone, I think we all do." Harry responded with a weary voice. The father of three hasn't felt this drained since the Second Wizarding War, but having children is it's own war as well.

The two men went their separate ways, Teddy Lupin joining his longtime girlfriend, Victoire Weasley on the loveseat and Harry returning to his wife, Ginny Potter who had an affectionate arm around their youngest daughter, Lily Potter.

"Are you sure he'll be alright? I don't want anything happening to him too, Harry." Ginny whispered as she softly stroked her daughter's red hair. The young Hufflepuff had fallen asleep some odd hour ago and Ginny was willing to keep it that way. She already had one child on the point of a breakdown, she didn't need to add her twelve year old to the mix.

"I don't want anything happening to him either, Gin. We already have Albus to worry about, but James will be alright. He just needs some air, he'll be back." Harry reassured his wife with a forced smile that it made his face shake. He pressed a small kiss to her temple before intertwining their fingers on his lap.

Harry could stay strong, he's had enough personal experience for him to keep his calm and to bury the stress and concerns underneath. He'll breathe easy once he knows Albus will be stable and James has a chance to give himself some room, but until then he stays strong for his wife and family. He softly squeezed Ginny's fingers and she reciprocated the affection immediately.

The Potters would be fine, they had to be, they _will _be.

* * *

**March 5th, 2021 | 2:09 PM**

"Gryffindor Captain Harper Wood defends the goal post! Catching the quaffle with those, rather I say, delicately strong hands and now Slytherin has lost their chance for another ten points in this rather heated game!" bellowed out Seventh Year commentator, Anthony Nova. The Gryffindor had been correct when he stated the game was starting to warm up. Gryffindor and Slytherin were nearly neck to neck, Gryffindor was only ahead by ten points, but Slytherin could easily catch up.

With his robes flapping at his waist, James was at full force with his bludger bat gripped tightly in his right hand. Being the best beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, James was one of the favorite players amongst the fanatics. Most have already been guessing that when Harper would graduate later this year, the post of Gryffindor Quidditch Captain would go to James. Harper hadn't said a word concerning who she would give her position to, but the way she continued to compliment James and his beater skills, he was a strong candidate.

"Slytherin's seeker, Albus Potter is still flying around searching for the golden snitch that's been zippin' about on the field. He sure could use the advantage of the one hundred and fifty points right about now!" Anthony commentated once more with a ferocity that seemed to get the game into a faster mode.

Hearing his brother's name, James searched the field for Albus and saw his fourteen year old prat of a sibling avoiding the chasers and beaters as he searched the sky for the golden snitch. Not far from Albus was Gryffindor's seeker, Kiara Patil. Her blue eyes were watching both Albus and the skies equally, noting for when either or showed some sort of change in course.

"You're not gonna find it, Al. Kiara's quicker and we're better." James muttered under his breath as he jetted forward on his broomstick, the grip he had on the bat even stronger now. A competitive streak always ran through James' blood and nothing got him more riled up than a Quidditch match. Especially one that is against his own brother's House.

"There goes Penelope Flint with the quaffle! She's heading at lightning speed to the goal posts! Perhaps now Slytherin will get their ten points and be neck to neck with Gryffindor!" Anthony screamed into the microphone. The Slytherin crowd cheering as Penelope zoomed past James with the quaffle tucked neatly under her left arm, the other Slytherin chasers separating into different sections of the field in case of a quick pass along of the quaffle.

James quickly scoured the area for any bludgers that were bumping about and his eyes soon landed on one that was heading in the direction of one of the quaffle-less Slytherin chasers. Furrowing his brows, James quickly set off to that bludger. If he could aim it just right, the bludger could hit Penelope in her left arm causing the quaffle to drop and hopefully into an awaiting Gryffindor chaser's hands.

Gripping his bat tighter, James flew quickly to the bludger that had barely touched a Slytherin chaser before it soon collided with James' bat. Cheers were heard from the Gryffindor stands as they heard the crack of the bludger meeting the bat and witnessed the bludger speeding towards the unaware Penelope.

"Seems like Gryffindor's beater, James Potter smacked a bludger right towards Penelope Flint! Oi! What a thumpin' good hit that wa-" Anthony's exciting commentary was abruptly cut off as the sound of a loud crack was echoing across the Quidditch field. "Did the bludger hit Flint? What seems to be.." Anthony soon trailed off as he witnessed what the rest of the Quidditch players and spectators were.

James had thought the loud crack was of the bludger breaking Penelope's arm, something that wouldn't earn his concern. Although that wasn't the case seeing as Penelope was nowhere to be seen, the quaffle was now in another Slytherin chaser's grip. Instead of seeing Penelope in his line of sight, James was seeing his own flesh and blood. Albus had been where James didn't see him, he was ahead of Penelope and when she had darted from the path of the bludger, it left Albus unprotected.

James' stomach dropped as he witness Albus go slack from the bludger's impact to his skull and soon fell limply off of his broomstick. Gasps were heard from the different House stands and even the faculty members stood up abruptly to see the incident. James could've sworn he heard a scream that sounded similar to Lily's as she too watched Albus' fall, but he didn't turn to the Hufflepuff House stands to see his sister.

Instead, James observed with a slack jaw and clammy hands as Albus' limp form soon landed with a reverberating smack to the Quidditch field. Something inside of James snapped and he didn't even think twice before flying downward towards Albus' body. He ignored Harper's shouts for him to get back into formation and Isaiah Patil's pointless attempt to grab the back of James' robes to stop him from leaving his broom.

Once James wasn't that far from the ground, he leaped off of his broom and began his sprint towards the limp body of his brother. He could see out of the corner of his eye as Madame Longbottom was bustling her way to Albus' body, but she wasn't as fast as James was.

With his knees buckling underneath him, James landed on his knees on the Quidditch field before his younger brother. Albus was showing no indications he was even awake at this point, he was absolutely still as his green and silver robe spread out from under him like wings.

"Albus? Al, wake up. C'mon you bloody little git, wake up!" James shouted as he placed his hand on the side of his face, feeling only his sweat from the forgotten game. Albus gave no response to James' shouts and laid still as ever under the sweltering sun.

A larger lump began to settle in the back of James' throat and he felt his airways begin to constrict, his heart was hammering in his chest as his eyes scoured Albus' unresponding form.

"C'mon, Al.. just say somethin' please." James pleaded, his hand moving from the side of Albus' face to his messy, thick, black hair that was wet from sweat. He swallowed thickly as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see the sympathetic face of the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor Neville Longbottom.

"You have to stand up, James. You need to give Hannah some room to check on Albus." Neville said with a stern, yet sad tone. James hadn't even noticed Neville's wife and current Madame, Hannah standing on Albus' other side, her wand firmly in her hand. "She won't hurt him, you know Hannah well. She'll treat your brother with tender hands." Neville reassured James, his grip on the young Gryffindor's shoulder as he tried with some indication to pull him up.

"But.. but he's not waking up. People are usually awake after being hit with bludgers, but he's not respondin'!" James shouted as he shrugged off Neville's hand. His other hand went to the side of Albus' neck as he attempted to find a pulse. The other hand still massaging the side of Albus' head, but the feeling of something sticky and wet came into contact with James' fingers.

Pulling his hand away, James expected to find more sweat, but instead was met with bright red blood plastering his hand. He hadn't even noticed until he glanced at Albus' head closer that blood was oozing from the back of his head. James tried his hardest to keep his heart from spinning wildly out of his chest, his hands to stop shaking and for his breathing to come in even. Yet, the blood coated his fingertips and brought no comfort to his overwhelmed body.

The shouting was just background noise to James as he continued to stare at his hand in astonishment. Soon a strong grip under his elbow brought James back onto his feet and pulled him away from Albus. His heart began beating at an even quicker pace as he struggled from the grip on his elbow, anger flooding through him as the person began dragging him away. Away from his _baby brother_.

"Get off of me! Fuck off!" James seethed as he dragged his heels into the terrain and attempted to pull the fingers off of his elbow. It was a futile attempt on the younger Gryffindor's part.

"You best get yourself together, Potter!" Harper bellowed out as she continued to drag James back to where his broomstick lay abandon. "I'm sorry about your brother, but we have to continue the game." The Captain soon planted James next to his broomstick, but her grip on his elbow never subsiding.

"You're mad if you think I can still play after what I just did, Wood!" James shouted, his voice reaching near hysteria as the moments played back in his mind. "I just bloody hit my brother in the head with a bludger!" Harper sighed and dragged a hand down her sweaty face as she brought her hazel eyes up to meet with James' chocolate brown ones.

"Yet, you didn't have a mental breakdown when you hit Zabini the last time we had a game against Slytherin. In fact if I recall, you were quite proud of that accomplishment." Harper reminded James.

"That prat is not my brother, Albus is! So if you think that I can just hop back on my broomstick and swing my bat around it's not happenin', Wood! I'm not even sorry about that, but I'm not continuing the game. You can go on without me." James said firmly as his eyes darted around Harper's stance which was directly in the view of Albus. James could barely make out the edges of Hannah's dress robes flowing out behind her as she was kneeled next to his body.

"You can't just quit the game, James! Merlin's beard, we _need _you in this game. We have a chance of actually beating Slytherin." Harper said in an exasperated tone as she removed her hand from James' elbow, assured that he wouldn't run off from her.

James' face scrunched up in a sneer as he heard Harper's words. He knew from being in Harper's House and team that she was as enthusiastic about Quidditch as her father, but he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she wasn't being understanding about this. If this had been reversed and it was Harper's sister that was hurt, James would let Harper off the team to be with her.

"How can you even _think _about beating Slytherin at a time like this, Harper?! You just saw what happened to Albus and I can't even begin to think about winning a bloody fuckin' stupid game when I just did something terrible!" James' voice had started out as a shout, but soon it turned into full fledged screaming as he began pointing a finger at Harper's chest.

"Now you know damn good and well that if it was Rachel laying on the field instead of Albus you would call off the entire match just for her! You are being unfair, entirely and completely unfair! I know it's all because Albus is a Slytherin and not from a more respectable House, but you need to stop with your goddamn prejudices, because I'm not gonna fly around on a broomstick like nothing fucking happened. BECAUSE SOMETHING DID HAPPEN!"

Everyone in the stadium was silent as they heard James' screams echo around the pitch. Lily who had been crying in her cousin, Molly Weasley's arms after seeing the blood on James' hands was completely silent as she watched her brother's outburst. Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy had been watching with slack jaws and quickened heartbeats, their eyes traveling from Albus' unresponsive body to James' and Harper's exchange.

Harper's face morphed into anger as James had brought her sister into this mess, but as she opened her mouth to retaliate, but she heard the beginnings of the conversation Hannah was already having with Neville. Albus' blood coating her own hands and it was splattered a bit on her white dress robes. Both James and Harper turned their attention to the Longbottoms.

"The extent of the damage is too much for me to fix, Nev. I think we're going to have to floo him to St. Mungo's where some professionals can take a better look at the wound on the side of his head." Hannah tried her best to keep her voice hushed, but her tone seemed wobbly at its best. She had only been Hogwarts' Matron for a few years now and the most she's had to deal with were broken bones, nothing compared to a bleeding cranium.

Coldness seeped into James' bones and he felt himself tremor as he heard Hannah's wobbly words. The last time James had been to St. Mungo's was when he was ten and his father had been attacked during an Auror raid. He remembered his mother crying and his Aunt Hermione looking shaky. James didn't want to have to go back there.

"Will it even be safe to floo him in his condition, Han? You say he's bleeding from the side of his head.. can't you just give him some blood replenishing potions and wait for the wound to close on it's own?" Neville inquired with a tremor in his voice as he gave his godson a quick glance. Albus' parents were going to have a fit when he'd have to tell them.

"I'm not entirely sure, Nev. I've never seen a bludger accident look this bad here before. It'd be in his better interests to be with some Healers. They'll know how to help him better than I can." Hannah responded as she reached out to grasp Neville's arm, but stopped herself as the red blood shone in the sunlight. Without a second thought, Neville pulled his wand out and muttered a quick Scouring Charm to clean the blood off of his wife's hands.

Grateful for the clean hands, Hannah seized her husband's robes and murmured how they needed to hurry and conjure a gurney to take Albus back into the castle for transport.

Figuring he had heard enough, James had pushed past Harper and hurried forward Neville and Hannah. His knees beginning to feel weak again from the intensity in the Longbottoms' words.

"Do you really need to send him to St. Mungo's? Can't you just do a few spells here?" James asked, his throat threatening to constrict on him. If it was necessary to go to St. Mungo's then that meant it was worse than James had witnessed. It also meant that his parents would be asked to floo there as well since Albus was only fourteen. If only Penelope Flint would have stayed where she was suppose to be, none of this would have happened.

Neville smiled sadly as he placed a hand on James' shoulder. "We have too, James. Hannah isn't as experienced. We need experts to make sure Albus is in the right hands. You understand, right?"

James only nodded numbly as Neville's words sunk in. He barely heard Neville tell Hannah to begin preparing taking Albus off the field and to the castle which she quickly tended to doing. James watched with a blank expression as Hannah conjured a gurney and called for some fellow faculty members to help her lift Albus onto the gurney.

Within seconds, Albus was placed on the gurney and a newly conjured piece of fabric was stuffed gently under his head. It had replaced a soaking, bright red one Hannah had only placed there five minutes prior. James swallowed the bile that threatened to show an appearance. He was grateful when Hannah used a charm to make the soiled fabric disappear before she levitated the gurney in the air and whisked away with Albus' unconscious figure.

When seeing his brother disappear from his view and into the tents, James felt his chest clench and his breathing became irregular once more. Thoughts began rushing through his mind at a warped speed that he couldn't stomach the idea of any of them actually happening. He just wished that Penelope had stayed where she should have. She'd have a broken arm, but Albus would be fine.

"James? Look at me, James." Neville spoke softly, pulling James from the depths of his own mind. "I have to follow Hannah and Albus, but I'd like to know if you'd like to join me? You'll be able to wait at the hospital until we can get a hold of Harry and Ginny alright? I also sent a Professor to go get Lily too, so the both of you can be there. Is that alright with you?"

James merely nodded, afraid that if he opened his mouth he'd start to weep and it was already embarrassing enough that he screamed in front of the entire student body this afternoon. As James turned to follow Neville's lead to the tent, he looked back at Harper who was standing next to Madame Hooch.

"Don't worry about it, we're disqualifying the game." Harper said in a strained, yet loud voice. James blinked. He knew this was something Harper never did, in her entire reign as Captain, she never disqualified. "You're right. If this was Rachel, matters would be different. So.. go be with your brother before I change my mind."

James nodded at her, trying to give her a small smile, but the corners of his lips weren't strong enough to uphold even a small smile. He turned his back on the Quidditch pitch as the Gryffindor team began shouting insults whilst the Slytherin team began cheering.

For once in his life, winning Quidditch wasn't that important to James. Albus was.

* * *

**March 5th, 2021 | 7:17 PM**

"Leave me alone, dad." James grumbled under his breath as he heard approaching footsteps behind him. He had managed to scour the hospital for a place to calm down and relax, somewhere open and empty. There was an alcove area on the fifth floor of St. Mungo's that James managed to find while briskly walking through the hallways. The only indication that someone had sat here before was by an empty bottle of water and a _Witch Weekly_ magazine that James discarded on the floor before taking the window seat.

"Oh, you caught me. I didn't exactly mean to have an affair with your mum when I was eight, James. It just bloody well happened. Just don't tell Harry, yeah?"

James lifted his head to see Teddy standing before him, running a hand through his teal blue hair. A small smile was on his lips as he took the vacant seat next to James without asking him. Truly, there was no reason to ask when James' body language said it all. He needed his best friend.

"Sorry, didn't know it was you." James muttered, casting his eyes downward as he felt Teddy's stare on him.

"Had no idea you were cooped up on the fifth floor. Do you know how much I walked around this bloody place looking for 'ya? My legs are blaming you for the pain." Teddy said playfully, a smile still on his lips as he tilted his body in James' direction. The former Hufflepuff was trying his hardest to pull James from his shell, but the attempt was futile.

"You can stop with the bullshit." James retorted with annoyance. Teddy's smile fell as he looked at James with a cocked eyebrow. "I don't need you to crack some lame joke for Merlin's sake. I'm not fragile."

Sighing deeply, Teddy ran a hand through his tousled colored hair, pulling a bit at the ends. He was at a loss with trying to speak to James on some level. The fifteen year old was closing himself off and Teddy couldn't blame him for that.

"Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you how much I understand what you're going through, because I have no idea what the hell is running through your mind." When James didn't respond, Teddy clasped his hands together. "I mean, I don't have a sibling. Well, obviously, you know that, but I wouldn't understand what you're feeling over it. I just don't know what to say to you."

"How about you just don't say anything?" James then turned his attention from the floor to Teddy's eyes. "You said it yourself, Ted. You don't understand what's happening, because you're an only child. You will _never_ know what it feels like to cause pain to someone you've grown up with."

"Well, thank you for that very obvious fact. I wasn't aware that I don't have a sibling, because my parents are dead. You really helped me out there." Teddy then kicked at the _Witch Weekly_ magazine lying on the floor, feeling a rush of anger flow through him. James knew better than to mention anything closely related to his parents. Teddy didn't enjoy discussing it and everyone respected that, well besides James it seemed.

Rubbing a hand down the side of his face, James groaned. He shouldn't have said a word. His big mouth was bound to ruin friendships if he didn't learn to keep it closed. Bracing his hands on his knees he looked over at Teddy to notice his teal blue hair had changed to an alarmingly bright red. Swallowing the growing lump in his throat he pointed a finger at the tousled hair.

"Uh.. your hair is red." James pointed out simply, feeling rather idiotic for stating it so moronically. Teddy only snorted at James' comment as he lightly tugged on a strand of the red hair.

"Yeah, figured that would happen. Did 'ya know it turned black when Vic told me what happened to Al? I think the colors tune into my feelings a little bit too much. I'd just prefer for it to stay blue." Teddy admitted to James as he stuffed his hands in his leather jacket's pockets, leaning against the wall. He could feel the anger leaving his body as quickly as it had came.

"'Blue's a safe color.' I remember telling you that when I was little." James murmured, mirroring Teddy's stance and also leaning against the wall as well. He must have only been six or seven when Teddy was trying to stay with a certain color than jump from one to the next. James had told Teddy that he thought blue was the safest of the lot and since then, Teddy has always had blue hair. It'll vary from dark blue to a teal blue, but it's blue nonetheless.

Teddy's lips rose at that memory. Teddy had only been fifteen and was trying hopelessly to find a color to suit him better than the green he had been sporting that summer. He had told James he didn't want a six year old's input, but the little bugger gave it anyway. It had been damn good input, not that he would admit it so openly to others, but this was James. He could tell James anything.

"For being a snot nosed six year old, you _were _right though. Blue is a pretty safe color. The ocean, the sky, the tacky jumpers Molly always knits me are blue. Blue's an alright color I suppose."

Silence webbed around the two best friends as a clock near them continued its loud ticking. James gave another glance to Teddy to see his hair had returned to the teal blue it had been before.

He barely smiled before it fell off his lips and he returned his gaze to the floor. Teddy noticed this.

"Everything will be okay, James. Honestly mate, Al has a thick head, he'll be fine." Teddy tried yet again his hand at reassuring the upset fifteen year old.

"If his head was so thick he'd be at Hogwarts instead of here. It wouldn't be so bad if he was there, when you're in the infirmary, you're in there for maybe two days. Here.. here it's different." James stumbled over his words, feeling the shakiness in his words. "He could be here longer and I don't like that at all."

"To be honest, none of us want him here any longer than you do, but like Neville said, he has to be here. It'd be worse if he was left with Hannah, he wouldn't be getting the care he could get here. It's all for the better, mate." Teddy murmured softly, he reached over and placed a hand on James' knee. "I bet you anything that once we floo you back home to get you in better clothes than those dirty Quidditch rags you're sporting, he'll be stable." Teddy gave James' knee a quick squeeze and a smile, but James was confused over his words.

"Floo me back home? I'm not leaving, Teddy." James said firmly. He would happily stay in his sweaty Quidditch robes until he knew Albus was fine. He wasn't about to leave to just switch clothes. Something could happen in the time he was gone and he'd kick himself if it happened when he was changing into a jumper.

"Harry was pretty adamant on it when I sought after you. He's already feeling just as horrible over what happened to Al. Not to mention your episode in the waiting room. Just do what your old man says, alright?" Teddy removed his hand off of James' knee and stood back up, stretching his back dramatically.

"Fine, but we're not staying longer than five minutes. That gives me enough time to change and we won't be gone that terribly long either, but _no longer_ than five minutes got it?" James said sternly as he looked at Teddy pointedly.

Another smile grew on Teddy's lips as he nodded and put his hands up in mock surrender. "What are you gonna do to me if we're there for six minutes then? Beat me?"

James stared at Teddy in complete silence over his words, feeling a bit hurt over the playful joke his best mate was attempting at. Once seeing his expression, Teddy lowered his arms and lightly punched James in the shoulder.

"Alright, that was a little harsh, but consider it payback for the dig at my past. No hard feelings?" Teddy held out his hand to the still silent James. Part of James wanted to throw a punch at Teddy's thick skull, but Teddy didn't do the same to him when he was making comments earlier.

Setting his anger aside, James sighed and shook Teddy's ring clad hand. He expected for Teddy to pull away and lead him to the nearest fireplace with the Floo Network, but he soon found himself pulled into Teddy's embrace. He could smell the scent of leather and smoke on his body.

"I should have done this when I saw you in the waiting room earlier, but you know me, I can be a bit of an idiot. There's a reason I was Sorted into Hufflepuff." James snorted at Teddy's comment. "But I promise you when I say everything will be alright. The Healers here know what they're doing and they wouldn't do anything to put Harry Potter's son in jeopardy. The name carries some weight around here, 'ya know." James nodded, he knew all too well the weight the name Potter carried in the Wizarding World.

After giving James an affectionate squeeze, Teddy pulled away from their embrace with a grin on his face.

"Don't go telling everyone I gave you the manliest hug ever or I swear I'll tell everyone it was you who blew up Uncle Ron's shed when you were nine at Christmas." Teddy threatened and James managed to keep an actual smile on his face for the first time since the incident.

"Or I could always mention how you and Vic were sneaking around for three years before you told the family." James lightly said as he brushed past Teddy's shoulder and towards the doors leading out of the fifth floor ward.

"Oi! That's not very fair now, you ungrateful little pr- Get back here, James!"

* * *

**March 5th, 2021 | 7:58 PM**

The Gryffindor and former Hufflepuff didn't stay for the five minutes that the former had insisted on at the Potter residence. Teddy managed to convince James to take a shower before they floo back to St. Mungo's or they'll throw him out of the ward for smelling so rotten. Which, after a few grumbles and insults, James finally surrendered and washed off the day's smell.

When the two finally flooed back to St. Mungo's, Harry, Ginny and Lily were no longer in the waiting room anymore. Only Victoire was the remaining relative in the Potter-Weasley brood waiting.

James' heart was pounding as he scanned the room, hoping his family had moved to a different area, but they weren't anywhere to be seen. He was sure something must have happened in the last thirty minutes they were gone and he started tugging at the end of his jumper nervously. He knew this would happen if he had taken the shower.

Victoire saw the two enter the waiting room and she jumped from her chair, rushing to them quickly. Her hand reaching out to grab Teddy's own which he quickly grasped hers in his. James didn't miss the way he was just as nervous at seeing her waiting alone in the room. James was ready to open his mouth to question Victoire on the whereabouts of his family, but she had beat him to the punch.

"Before the two of you have a massive fit, everyone is fine." Victoire then turned to look James in the eyes. "The Healer came in about ten minutes ago to say they stopped the bleeding hours ago, but had given him quite a few potions since then and he's been out of sorts since. Not fit enough to have visitors. He's fine now though. They said he'll probably have to stay here for a few days to be under observation and gain some strength back, but overall he's fine."

James felt like he could breathe clearly for the first time since the incident. He was able to fully fill his lungs with air and exhale with no difficulty. Albus was fine, he was out of the danger zone. The bludger hadn't completely wrecked him like James was so sure it had. He hadn't doomed his brother of a terrible life in pain. He could breathe again.

"Thank Merlin for that then. This one's been having his own massive fit since it happened. See I told you he'd be fine." Teddy breathed out to James, relieved as well that Albus wasn't horribly injured. Victoire smiled at his solace when she averted her attention to James who had been silent since her announcement.

"Aren't you relieved, James?" Victoire questioned, hoping he wasn't in the middle of another fit like Teddy had been talking about. It seemed as though her words got through to the fifteen year old as he focused his eyes on hers and smiled softly.

"Admittedly so. Do 'ya know when my parents and Lily are suppose to be back?" James inquired and the former Ravenclaw smiled reassuringly at the Gryffindor before reaching out to squeeze his shoulder affectionately.

"I'm fairly certain that Uncle Harry said he had to go sort out matters at Hogwarts with Aunt Ginny about Albus having to miss some days. So I think they'll be back soon."

As if on cue, the three Potters strolled through the double doors that lead to where Albus would admittedly be. Harry was the first to see James and he beamed as he strode forward and embraced his son in a loving hug.

"We just saw him and he is completely fine. He was talking and moving around the best he can seeing as how sore and weak he is." Harry pulled from the embrace, but placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "He was even asking for you, but we told him you had to change out of your Quidditch robes. He actually admitted to saying that was a good idea considering how bad you smell during a game."

James smiled broadly. "Nice to know he can make lame jokes while lying in a hospital bed. A multitasker that one." Harry chuckled and moved his hands from James' shoulders to the pockets in his robes.

"Listen, your mother and I have to talk to the Headmaster about Albus' absence from school. We're also going to be dropping your sister back off there as well. So once you're finished talking to your brother, just have Teddy and Vic take you back." Harry informed his son. James nodded at his words glumly. Despite wanting to stay the entire night with his brother, he knew it wouldn't be the smartest thing to miss any schoolwork. So he'll comply to his father's words.

"How long do I have?" James asked as he felt his mother's hand fall on the back of his neck and rub affectionately.

"About a good twenty minutes until visiting hours are over, so you have that long. Be gentle with him though, James." Ginny warned, her motherly instinct having taken over her personality this evening. From seeing her injured son to her distressed eldest, it was enough to send her in a tail spin.

"I know, mum. I won't be doing cartwheels on his bed for Merlin's sake." Upon hearing his words, Ginny abruptly slapped James on the back of the head, earning a giggle from Lily who was watching the exchange with amusement.

"Nice to know that you're back to your old self." Ginny teased, but the underline meaning was there. She was happy her son was back to being the little git he could be rather than the unresponsive madness he was earlier. She'd take sarcastic comments over eerie silence any day.

After informing James of the room Albus was staying in for the next few days, they said their goodbyes before leaving with Lily in tow. Teddy and Victoire said they would wait patiently in the waiting room until James was finished and that they'd come back tomorrow to spend some time with Albus alone.

James soon went off on his own to find Albus' room and managed to find it rather easily considering his parents had requested he be put in a private room to evade pestering questions. James raised his fist to knock before entering, but felt an icy sweat take over. What if Albus was going to be angry with him over what happened. He had said he wanted to see him, but what if it was solely on the fact he wanted to let James know how upset he was?

Hanging his head low, James knew that if it came down to that, he would take all of the words Albus would throw at him. It was only fair considering James threw a bludger to his head. He breathed deeply before knocking on the door three times.

"Come in."

_Albus_. James never thought the sound of his brother's voice would bring him so much relief yet so much shame at the same moment. He was alive and well, but he had taken a nasty hit to the head thanks to James. It was enough to fill the fifteen year old with conflicted feelings.

Tentatively, James opened the door and walked inside the room slowly. It had a stark resemblance to the room his father had when he was admitted here years ago. White walls, white flooring, pictures of nature hung around the room. Yet, the only thing that mattered to James was his brother who was propped up on some pillows on the bed in the middle of the room.

James was expecting some harsh words, a glare, some sort of emotion that verified that Albus was fuming beyond belief at James' carelessness on the field. Instead, James was met with a small, shaky smile on Albus' face.

"There you are. I was wondering when you'd show up." Albus said softly, his voice still groggy from the medicated sleep he was placed under for the past five hours. He tried shifting himself higher on the pillows, but his arms quivered under the strength he was attempting. Victoire had been right when she said he needed to stay to regain his energy.

"Wait, don't move on your own." James hurried to Albus' side, supporting his shoulders as his brother slowly sat up a bit straight. "Dad said you were still weak so just take it easy, alright?" James could feel his protective brotherly instincts snap into place immediately.

"Yeah and he said you were busy showering your stink away. Which I'm grateful for considering this place already smells like death warmed over." Albus joked, yet his voice didn't carry the sarcastic strength it usually did when joking. It sounded wobbly and on edge.

Once Albus was propped against the pillows a bit more straight this time, he leaned back against the feathery goodness and looked up at his brother who was still standing awkwardly by his side.

"Unless you plan on standing until visiting hours are over, take a seat, James." Albus offered, gesturing to the chair that was behind James. Turning around swiftly, James grabbed the chair and carried it to the side of Albus' bed and took a seat in a matter of seconds.

Silence filled the white room and the two brothers were completely silent. James had no idea how to even approach the topic of the incident. How was he suppose to apologize for what he's caused? It's been five hours since it happened and he still wished that Penelope Flint had stayed where she had been.

Albus on the other hand was fighting the urge to fall asleep. A Healer had came in after his parents and sister left, forcing him to drink another potion to help with the mind blowing headache that kept recurring throughout his stay. Yet, the potion made him feel incredibly drowsy and his body was demanding sleep, but he wanted nothing more than to see his brother.

"Fuckin' hell, Al. I don't even know what to say to you right now. I'm at a bloody loss for words." James confessed, his head falling into his hands.

"You don't have to say anything, James. You didn't do nothin' wrong." Albus reassured his brother quietly. It had been foggy when Albus woke up the first time at St. Mungo's. After asking countless questions to the Healer tending to him, she finally told him he was here because he had been hit with a bludger during a Quidditch game.

Albus didn't even have to ask who had done it. He vaguely remembered Anthony Nova's commentary on his brother hitting a bludger towards Penelope Flint and Albus wasn't that terribly far from her. It all clicked in his mind despite the excessive grogginess and the potions being forced down his throat. His brother had accidentally hit him in the head with a bludger.

Yet, Albus was far from angry. If anything, he was annoyed he felt so weak and useless, that his family has to help him even so much as sit up a bit straighter in his bed, but he wasn't upset at his brother. It had been an accident and everyone knew it had no malicious intentions behind it, but Albus knew James thought differently. He knew his brother as if he was the back of his hand.

"I hit you with a bludger to the head, made you bleed all over the Quidditch field, had you admitted to St. Mungo's and yet you tell me I did _nothing_ wrong here?" James asked astonished that Albus found that he had done no horrible deed.

"It was an accident, James. I know that, I was there. Every time we play against each other, you go out of your way to make sure none of the bludgers hit me. I know you didn't mean to do this, that this was just an accident, because Penelope moved. That's all this was, an accident." Albus explained in a voice that was getting raspier by the word, he cleared his throat before continuing.

"So stop moping over this. I'll be back to new in a few days and it'll be like none of this ever happened. Everything will go back to normal with us and today will just be another memory."

James stared at Albus in complete and utter shock. It was like he didn't even care he was admitted to the hospital or was drugged up on potions. It was like this wasn't even a serious issue for him. James couldn't believe how nonchalant and insightful Albus was being.

"Just another memory? You call this a memory?" James questioned, his voice rising a bit on anger he was beginning to feel.

"Well, yes. Everything that has happened to us is a memory to remember later." Albus responded. Though the bed ridden Slytherin didn't mean to sound rather sarcastic, it still oozed from his words.

"Don't be sarcastic with me, Al!" James was trying his hardest to keep his voice under control. "You know that no one would like to remember being put in a hospital because of their brother."

"What are you playing at here, James? Do you want me to be pissed beyond belief at you? Do you want me to hate your guts for what you did? Do you want me to call you a wanker, a prat, a git? What do you want me to do here?" Albus asked, feeling as the weariness began to overwhelm his body at an even more accelerated rate. He didn't want to fight with James. All he wanted was to talk to him for a bit before sleeping this potion off.

"To be honest, yes." James admitted, he stood up from the chair and began pacing the room. "I deserve it alright? I did something terrible and it's been eating me away on the inside, Al. I feel like I need to be scolded for what I did, but so far I've been hugged and reassured by everyone! What for, though? You deserve that, not me. I wasn't the one who got injured. I was the one who did the injuring."

"You're right." Albus admitted quietly and James stopped pacing the room, a cold sweat seeping over his skin. "You did hit that bludger that ended up knocking me off my broom. You did injure me. You're hit caused my head to bleed and for me to be admitted in this bloody hospital." James was completely still.

"But you didn't _intend_ for this to happen. That's the difference in this messed up situation. I know you feel guilty, you feel absolutely awful, because you did this, but I'm not pissed, James. I'm just sore and tired that's all, but I won't yell at you for something you didn't intend to happen. Got it?"

Swallowing the large lump that squirmed it's way into James' throat, he nodded silently at Albus' words. A part of him still wanted to be punished for what he did, but he'd bury that down deeper for now. He would deal with this conflicting emotions at a later time.

Looking at Albus now, James could tell just how exhausted he looked. He had bags under his almond, green eyes and his skin seemed paler than the white room. Wanting to kick himself for worsening his condition, James crossed the room in a matter of seconds and took his vacated seat.

Albus turned his head in James' general direction and had a weak smile on his face. "Everything alright now?" James nodded before reaching over and grasping the young Slytherin's hand in his own.

"Merlin, your hands are freezing. Are they trying to make you hypothermic here? Is this a ploy to keep you here longer?" James joked. Albus chuckled at the playfulness that had returned to his brother's voice. He felt as James placed both his hands around Albus' right one and began warming them up with friction. Albus smiled as he remembered an old memory on a snowy afternoon.

"Just like mum would do to Lily's hands, huh?" Albus said so quietly that James barely heard his words. He looked up from their hands to Albus' face to see that his green eyes were slowly beginning to close as he gave into the much needed slumber.

Just as Albus' eyes fully closed and he was under sleep's spell completely did James quietly whisper,

"Yeah, just like you did with mine, too."

* * *

**A/N: **Whew! This was a lot to write, wow! Like I stated before, I am a sucker for angst, hurt filled FanFics and I figured I would write one on my own. I know some of this seems far fetched what with Albus having to be admitted to St. Mungo's instead of being cared for at the infirmary and James' regret, but I felt it deemed necessary for the story I was attempting to tell.

So I hope you all enjoyed it! If you would like, please leave a review telling me how I did and if you wouldn't mind seeing more FanFics from this verse. (I'm contemplating calling it the FancyVerse since that Fic started it all) Anyway, thank you so much for taking time to read this!


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